This invention relates to tools for removing tablets from blister packages, and more particularly to a resilient cushion pressing member for the movable pressing structure of such tools to provide a resilient cushioning surface interengagement between the pressing structure of the tool and a blister package supported on a package support base of the tool during pressing operation of the tool.
There are a great many different types and arrangements of such tools for this purpose, and examples of merely a few of such blister package-opening tools are seen in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,472,115 and 5,722,563 having common ownership with this invention and incorporated herein by reference, and European Patent EP 0305895A1. The first two patents illustrate a pliers-type hand tool construction which utilizes a movable pressing structure having a pivoting jaw member mounting a hard, rigid impact/pressing member which travels in an arcuate path toward a blister package supported on a package support base of the tool to engage and press tablets from blister packages, while the third patent shows a ram-type tool construction utilizing an impact plunger member arranged for travel along an axial path to press tablets from blister packages. The present invention is entirely workable with both arcuately moving and axially moving pressing structures of all forms of such tools.
As is known by those skilled in the art as well as by those who have used these tools of the prior art, there is an inherent problem in the mechanical pressing of tablets and capsules from blister packages through a package supporting tool base member by a moving pressing member. The problem is that while these tools operate well to press upon some tablets and force them to tear through and exit the bottom of their blister packages, many other tablets simply break, split or are substantially pulvarized during the pressing process of the tool. Almost invariably gel tabs break when these tools are used. This problem is the consequence of the tremendous variety of different tablet sizes, shapes, consistencies, and hardnesses that must be accommodated, as well as the various different packaging characteristics involved in the wide array of product packages that these tools are used for. The accepted fact of these tools of virtually every type of construction provided heretofore is that they simply are not successfully usable with a great number of types of tablets and capsules which inevitably break or are crushed by the pressing structure of the tools.
In this regard, tablets having a soft or frangible consistency can easily break or be crushed under the force of the hard pressing member of the tool whereas hard, dense tablets are less likely to break. Understandably, gel-type and liquid-filled capsules often burst whereas hard caplets and the like clearly will not. Also, different blister packages have different tear characteristics depending on the materials employed for their bottom cover sheet. Some packages tear very easily as the tablet is pressed against the cover sheet while other packagings resist tearing rather strenuously and therefore require additional pressing force be applied against the tablet by the pressing member of the tool. This obviously increases the likelihood of breaking and crushing of tablets and pills.
In the development of these tools various efforts have been made to facilitate the tearing of the bottom of the package during operation of the tool. These have included cutting elements positioned on the hard pressing members of tools configured to puncture through the bottom of the blister package during pressing operation of the tool, and configuring the openings through the package supporting base in a manner so as to provide a shearing effect on the bottom cover of the package as the tablet is pressed therethrough, also serving to facilitate the cutting of the package open. However, these modifications often don""t accommodate tablets and pills of different shapes and sizes and orientations within their blister packaging and still do not overcome the inherent breaking problems associated with the use of hard, rigid pressing members as has been the only practice in the prior art tools.
After extensive trial and error experimentation and development it has been discovered that the foregoing problems in the use of mechanical pressing tools for blister packaged tablets, capsules and pills are substantially entirely eliminated by the provision of the resilient cushion pressing member of this invention, which allows virtually all types of pressing tools for blister packs to successfully remove substantially all types and forms of tablets, etc. from blister packs undamaged.
In its basic concept this invention provides a resilient cushion pressing member for the movable pressing structure of blister package opening tools for pressing engagement of a blister package by the resilient cushion pressing member whereby to resiliently cushion and distribute pressing force substantially evenly over the contacted surface of the package and the tablet contained therein throughout the pressing process of the tool.
It is by virtue of the foregoing basic concept that the principal objective of this invention is achieved; namely, the provision of a cushion pressing member for blister package opening tools that substantially reduces tablet breakage during operation of the tool and also substantially increases the range, type and number of different tablet and blister package combinations that can be successfully served by the package opening tool, thereby overcoming the disadvantages and limitations of blister package opening pressing tools of the prior art.
Another object and advantage of this invention is the provision of a cushion pressing member of the class described which may be mounted on the movable pressing structure of a blister package opening tool by any suitable mounting arrangement as may be desired or required during manufacture of the tool.
Another object and advantage of this invention is the provision of a cushion pressing member of the class described which may be provided as a separate, independent pressing element configured for mounting on the movable pressing structure of a tool in any suitable manner after manufacture of the tool in replacement of the pressing member provided on the tool during manufacture for upgrade of the tool.
Another object and advantage of this invention is the provision of a cushion pressing member of the class described which is formed of an elastomeric material having predetermined resiliency characteristics selected to engage a blister package and a tablet contained therein deformably in order to more evenly distribute pressing force over the entire contacted surface area of the resilient pressing member.
A further object and advantage of this invention is the provision of a cushion pressing member of the class described which may be used on blister package opening tools having either arcuately-moving or axially-moving pressing structures.
A still further object and advantage of this invention is the provision of a cushion pressing member of the class described which is of simplified construction for economical manufacture.
The foregoing and other objects and advantages of this invention will appear from the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings of preferred embodiments.